Boxing suffers black eye

By unknown -
25 September 2007 - 02:00

Bongani Magasela

Bongani Magasela

Boxing suffered a black eye last Friday night because of the SABC's defective electric system in their outside broadcasting vans which caused the premature stoppage of a WBC International title fight between Zukisani Kwayiba and Alex Aroy at the Carousel Resort.

SABC staff fixed the problem after six minutes, which was rather too late for the fight to resume. But why did the SABC not have a back-up system such as a generator? Strange.

The fight had gone for six rounds and the winner had to be decided on scorecards. Two judges, Tony Nyangiwe and Silvia Mokaila, crowned that calamity with their scandalous judgement of 68-66 each that helped a visibly vanquished Kwayiba to retain the title. The third judge Joe Chaane was patriotic with his 67-67 score.

The WBC did not want to achieve partiality by appointing all three local judges. Only referee Daniel van de Wiele from Belgium was the neutral lieutenant. Aroy's trainer Juanito Ablanca from the Philippines said he would be a fool to return to South Africa. "Randy Suico and Jerope Mercado were robbed here against Mzonke Fana and Vusi Malinga. Clearly I am not welcome here," he said.